Vehicle Integration Lead Engineer

Job Summary

The Vehicle Integration Lead Engineer is responsible for driving full‑vehicle design integration for the product line. This role works across all engineering functions to align vehicle architecture, optimize system interactions, and ensure delivery of complete vehicle‑level requirements. The Integration Lead owns the Vehicle Virtual Assembly (VA) and maintains it as the single source of truth for design intent, governs integration guidelines, and ensures regulatory compliance. This position plays a critical role in upholding technical correctness, resolving cross‑functional integration issues, and ensuring the team delivers a well‑engineered Harley‑Davidson motorcycle that exceeds customer expectations.

Job Responsibilities

Vehicle Architecture & Integration

• Serve as Design Engineering’s product line expert for vehicle attributes, configuration variants , and system interactions.
• Partner with vehicle leads, system architects, and design engineers to optimize part design and physical system interactions that meet vehicle‑level requirements while balancing program and portfolio objectives.
• Guide system integration using Harley‑Davidson standards, industry best practices, and lessons learned from prior product development.
• Develop and maintain the vehicle architecture, including vehicle skeleton, weight distribution and budget, rider and passenger ergonomics, packaging layouts, initial system configurations, and kinematics.
• Lead cross‑system integration across chassis, powertrain, electrical, bodywork, thermal, NVH, and human factors to ensure vehicle‑level performance and reduce portfolio complexity.

Vehicle Virtual Assembly (VA) Ownership

• Own the accuracy, quality, and completeness of the product line VA, ensuring it communicates design intent and adheres to integration guidelines (clearance envelops, lean angles, curb strikes, steering/suspension limits, regulatory dimensional limits, crating, assembly fixtures, and rider/passenger manikin positioning).
• Perform vehicle‑level tolerance analyses to support integration decisions and risk mitigation.
• Validate full‑vehicle compliance with regulatory requirements (vehicle dimensions, lighting installation, etc.) and support the Vehicle Lead in completing Design for Compliance documentation.
• Ensure alignment between the VA and the vehicle BOM structure as master design records.
• Maintain and govern vehicle weight data within the VA to ensure accuracy throughout development.

Education Requirements

Education Specifications

• Requires a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related Technical Degree.

Experience Requirements

Required:

• Minimum of 8 years of relevant engineering experience.
• Background in automotive/powersports – vehicle systems, dynamics and performance
• Proficiency with 3D CAD and PLM systems (PTC Creo/Parametric, CreoView, or equivalent) with demonstrated ownership of full‑vehicle assembly models.
• Proven success leading system or component design from concept through production launch.
• Strong understanding of vehicle systems and performance attributes including ride and handling, braking, powertrain performance, aerodynamics, and ergonomics, as well as the systems that deliver these attributes.
• Excellent communication skills, strong attention to detail, and ability to collaborate effectively across teams.